Baling press



April 9,1935. A. s. mcmwzm 1,996,772

BALING PRESS Filed Sept. 12, 1952 2 Sheet's-She et 1 Patented Apr. 9, 1935 PATENT OFFICE name mass Alexander S Mackenzie, Houston, Tex, assignor .to Anderson, Clayton dz Company, Houston,

Tex., a joint stock association of Texas Application September 12, 1932, Serial No. 632,833

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a baling press. Baling presses, and particularly cotton baling presses, include a movable platen which forms the bottom of the baling chamber, the platen usually being moved upwardly or toward a fixed head block to compact or compress the loose cotton or other material to the size and shape of a finished bale by means of a hydraulic ram centrally located with respect to the platen.

By the use of. the structure described above, considerable difliculty is experienced in properly forming a bale, due to irregularities in the distribution of the cotton in the baling chamber. 11' there is more cotton in one end of the baling chamber than in the other, when the pressure builds up as the cotton is compressed, the end of "the platen against the end of the bale having the greatest amount of cotton therein will be retarded while the other end will continue to travel against the lesser resistance, the result being a wedge shaped bale, larger at one end than at the other. 1

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a baling press capable, under all conditions, of producing bales whichrare of uniform size and shape. I

Another object of the invention is to provide. a baling press which is soconstructed that the platen may be selectively. actuated to apply the 30 desired degree of pressure at the proper points of the platen to compress the material in the press to propershape, regardless of whether or not the loose material to be formed into a bale is evenly distributed in the press.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification and claims.

' In the drawings, in which likenumerals refer to like parts throughout the several views,

F1 re 1 is a side view-of a balingpress the foundation being shown in vertical section; and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the pressure fluid supply system used with the press.

The numeral Ill designates the base plate of the press which is provided with the usual tie rods II which support and hold a head block l2. Astationary platen I3 is secured to-the head block and a movable platen i4 is fixed to a cross head l5 secured to a central or'main ram or piston l6. Auxiliary rams or pistons I! are secured to the cross head on either side of the central ram l6 and the three pistons are mounted for reciprocation in separate cylinders, main ram 55 I6 being mounted in a cylinder I8 and the auxiliary rams being mounted in cylinders l3, as shown. The baling chamber of the baling press comprises the usual lower portion 26 having side and end walls extending below the operating floor 2| and an upper portion '22 in which the completed bale is formed which portion is above and end doors. 7 1

Figure 2 shows the arrangement of piping and valves for controlling the flow ot pressure fluid m to the baling press. This system comprises a pump 23 which receives fluid from a tank 26 through a pipe line 26 and forces the fluid outwardly through a pipe line 26 to the ram cylinders. A connection 21 is included in the pipe line 15 26 to connect the latter directly with the tank 24 by a pipe line 23 in which is included a valve 29. From the connection 21, the line 26 extends tothe central ram cylinder l3 and line 26 is conthe baling floor and is defined by the usual side,

nected to one of the auxiliary cylinders-l3 by a line 30 which may extend from the connection 21. A line 3| is connected to the line 26 by a suitable-fitting and extends to the other auxiliary ram cylinder is. Valves 32 and 33 are provided in the lines 33 and 3|, respectively. The auxil- 7 iary cylinders. are also connected to the tank- 24 by a pipe line 33 which joins branchlines 35 and 36, extending to each of the auxiliary cylinders l9. Check valves 31 are included in the branch lines 35 and 36 to prevent return flow of fluid from the auxiliary cylinders I! to, the tank 23 through the line 36.

In operation, the baling chambers 23 and'22 or the baling press are filled with cotton or other material in the usual manner. In order to move the platen l6 upwardly, the valves 23, 32 and 33 are closed and the .pump 23 is placed in operation. Fluid will be withdrawn from the tank 24 by the pump 23 and will beforced through the pipe line 26 to the central cylinder l3, there- 40 by forcing the platen M upwardly. In moving upwardly, the platen will carry the auxiliary V rams I! with it and in order to fill the cylinders IQ of the auxiliary rams l'l, fluid will flow by gravity through the pipe line 33 and pipe lines 35 and 36, past the check valves 31, intothe lower ends or the auxiliary cylinders i9.

The upward movement of the platen M will compress the loose cotton somewhat and,if one end of the baling chambers contains more cotton than the other end, the end of the platen oppositethe larger mass will be retarded somewhat; This action will be observed by the operator through the usual openings in the baling cham her and he may then open either valve 32 or 33 to admit fluid pressure from the pipe line 26 to the proper auxiliary cylinder ll so that the end of the platen which has been retarded may be forced upwardly into level position. when the pressure from all three cylinders, permitting the fluid to return through the pipe lines I. and 3| and pipe line 26 to the fitting 21, from which, it will flow past the opened valve 2! and through 'the pipe line 28 to the tank 24. This will permit the movable plate II to drop and the bale may be removed from the press.

' I claim:.-

1. In a paling press, a central fluid pressure operated ram, equalizing fluid pressure operated rams, one on each side of the central ram, a movable platen mounted upon the rams, a supply tank, means to direct fluid by'gravity from the supply tank to the equalizingrams, a pump receiving fluid from the supply tank, means to normally prevent return flow from the equalizing rams to the supply tank, and means tedirect fluid pressure to the central ram and to selectively direct fluid pressure to either 01' the auxiliary rams.

2. In a baling press, a central fluid pressure operated ram, equalizing fluid pressure operated rams, one on each side 01 the central ram, a movable platen mounted upon the rams, a supply tank, a pump adapted to receive fluid from the supply tank, means to direct fluid pressure from the pump to the central ram, means to direct fluid by gravity to the auxiliary rams, means to normally prevent return flow from the auxiliary rams to the supply tank, means'to selectively direct fluid pressure from the pumpto the individual auxiliary rains, and means to pro-,

vide return flow of fluid from the ram to the supply tank. v

3. In a baling press having a movable platen, a central'ram, a plurality of auxiliary equalizing rams, a fluid supply tank, a fluid pressure pump communicating with said fluid supply tank, said central ram communicating with said pump by a pipe line, said auxiliary rams communicating with said pipe line by individual pipe lines, valves j in said lastmentioned pipe lines to permit selective flow therethrough to said auxiliary rams, said auxiliary rams communicating with said supply tank by a separate gravity flow pipe line,

and said first mentioned pipe line communicating with said supply tank by a valve controlled return flow pipe line.

ALEXANDER S. MACKENZIE. 

